The Canadian Bat Microbiome Project

蝙蝠是自然和农业生态系统中的关键物种。它们为加拿大的农业、林业和人类健康提供了价值数十亿美元的基本服务。然而，它们的生存正受到各种自然和人为因素的威胁，包括持续的白鼻综合征（WNS）大流行，自2006年以来，该流行病已导致北美数百万只蝙蝠死亡，并蔓延到8个省（阿尔伯塔省和不列颠哥伦比亚省除外）。最近的调查已经确定，蝙蝠微生物组可能在宿主对WNS的易感性中发挥重要作用。然而，目前对加拿大蝙蝠的微生物群知之甚少。在这个拟议的项目中，我们采取多学科的方法来研究加拿大蝙蝠中低于和高于物种水平的微生物组变化的模式和机制。此外，我们计划分离和鉴定来自加拿大不同蝙蝠和不同地区的有益微生物，这些微生物可以开发成针对宿主和地理区域的益生菌，以提高蝙蝠对WNS的存活率。为了实现这些目标，我们组建了一个跨学科的团队，在微生物学、兽医学、蝙蝠生物学、疾病流行病学、生态学和保护方面具有专业知识。

Bats are keystone species in natural and agricultural ecosystems. They provide essential services to agriculture, forestry, and human health worthy of billions of dollars in Canada. However, their very existence is being threatened by a variety of natural and anthropogenic factors, including the ongoing white nose syndrome (WNS) pandemic that has killed millions of bats in North America and spread to eight provinces (except Alberta and BC) since 2006. Recent investigations have identified that the bat microbiome likely plays significant roles in host susceptibility to WNS. However, at present, little is known about the microbiome of Canadian bats. In this proposed project, we take a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the patterns and mechanisms of microbiome variations among bats at both below and above species levels across Canada. In addition, we plan to isolate and identify beneficial microorganisms from different bats and different regions in Canada that can be developed into host- and geographic region-specific probiotics to enhance the survival of bats against WNS. To achieve the objectives, we have assembled an inter-disciplinary team with expertise in microbiology, veterinary science, bat biology, disease epidemiology, ecology, and conservation.